


Who You Need to Be

by Alexandria (heartfullofelves)



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M, Post-Episode: s04e13 Journey's End
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:33:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4321533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/pseuds/Alexandria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two Torchwood agents walk into a bar. One is recognised.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who You Need to Be

Planet Earth had been returned to its rightful place in the solar system, Jack was back from helping the Doctor, and the last of the sun was disappearing beneath the horizon, as it should. The people of Cardiff were celebrating, either at home with their families, or out on the town with their friends. It was rumoured that there would be a fireworks display at midnight, but anyone with good sense would know that that sort of thing had to be organised in advance, and the whole stolen Earth thing had been rather impromptu.

Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness were two out of a limited number of people on the planet who knew the whole story. Once Jack had returned to the Torchwood hub, Gwen and Ianto had bombarded him with questions and he had answered them. Just a year ago he would have avoided giving a truthful answer to even the most basic questions regarding his absence, but he had grown to trust and love his team enough to share everything about his latest adventure. The fact that his team had halved in size since then might’ve also had something to do with it, but he tried not to linger on that thought.

Now, after sending Gwen home to celebrate the human race’s continued existence with her husband, Jack asked Ianto to take him out somewhere.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere,” said Jack. “Or everywhere. We could even do a pub crawl if you’re up to it.”

Ianto examined Jack’s face for a few moments, then, deciding that the man wasn’t joking, replied, “Yeah, alright. We’ve earnt it. I’ll take you to my favourite pub close by.”

“Great,” Jack grinned.

Ianto took the RAF greatcoat from the coat hook and lifted it onto Jack’s shoulders, patting down the wool as Jack fed his arms through the sleeves.

“Have I told you lately how good that coat looks with you in it?” asked Ianto, stepping in front of his captain.

Jack chuckled. “Not lately, no,” he smiled.

Ianto leant in and pressed a soft kiss to Jack’s lips. “I’m glad you came back, sir,” he murmured, and dove in for another kiss, wrapping his arms around Jack.

Jack’s hands rose to grasp Ianto’s biceps, and he moaned as Ianto began exploring the inside of his mouth with his tongue, but then he gently pushed Ianto away. “Pub,” he reminded them both when Ianto frowned.

“Right, pub.” Ianto nodded, and led the way to the invisible lift.

Once they were up on the Plass, Jack took Ianto’s hand and kept walking. Ianto glanced at Jack with wide eyes, then smiled and nodded, permitting this public display of affection. Then he tugged Jack’s hand and started walking south, towards Mermaid Quay. “It’s _this_ way.”

“So why is this your favourite bar?” asked Jack when they were nearly there. It was only a five-minute stroll, and they took their time to observe the people around them, smiling and laughing and grateful to be alive.

“Nice atmosphere, edible food, affordable place to drink,” replied Ianto. “I came here with Owen sometimes, when you were gone.”

Jack had nothing to say except “Ah.” He let go of Ianto’s hand to push open the door. “After you.” He followed Ianto inside, letting the door swing shut behind him.

Ianto walked up to the bar and turned to Jack. “What are you having, s-Jack?” he stopped himself from calling his boyfriend “sir” in public.

Jack opened his mouth to answer but Ianto cut him off.

“And you’re not drinking water this early in the evening if we’re to do this pub crawl properly.”

“In that case,” he sidled up to Ianto, “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“Make that two SA Golds, please,” Ianto told the bartender.

With their drinks in hand, the two found their own table a little removed from the louder crowds in the middle of the pub. Jack sat back on his stool while Ianto shrugged off his jacket and loosened his tie – his way of showing that he was off duty, and that right now he was a regular man in a pub on an evening when the whole world was revelling, and he would act accordingly.

He smiled at Jack and raised his glass. “What should we drink to?”

“To saving the planet,” Jack beamed, and clinked his glass against Ianto’s. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

Ianto was half finished his beer when someone called his name – someone who was not Jack. His head whipped in the direction of the call, and he set eyes on a group of three men and two women waving at him. He grinned.

“Friends of yours?” Jack frowned.

“Yes, actually.” Ianto made to get up, but the men from the other table beat him to it and came to him first.

“Ianto, mate,” greeted the tallest, “what’s occurring? Didn’t recognise you at first with your fancy shirt and tie, did we? You back in town for good, then? What are you doing with your life now?”

“It’s been a while, but I see you’ve not changed at all. Good to see ya, Wyn. And you, Dai.” Ianto shook Wyn’s hand and turned to the next man, who was pink-cheeked and on the heavy side. Jack was reminded a little of Rhys, but was more impressed at how Ianto avoided Wyn’s questions.

“Someone’s looking old and wise,” teased Dai, nudging Ianto.

“Someone’s looking fat and lazy,” Ianto retorted with good nature, and nudged back. “Hey, man.”

Jack raised one eyebrow. _Hey? Man?_ This was a facet of Ianto’s personality he’d never seen before, and it was rather… interesting. Different. Ianto seemed younger and friendlier, and Jack’s heart ached when he realised that if Ianto had never been joined Torchwood he may have remained the same person that Jack was looking at now.

“And Harry, how are things? Not still living with your mam, I hope,” Ianto said to the last guy, a slight figure with an ear piercing and a wedding ring.

“Na mate, moved out as soon’s I could. Married with a baby boy now.” The man beamed, and Ianto shook his hand.

“Congratulations.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t marry Sian,” Harry went on, glancing at Ianto’s bare left hand. “You were crazy for her, man, and we all know how _she_ felt about you.”

At this, Wyn, Harry, and Dai exchanged knowing smirks while Ianto ducked his head, and Jack’s curiosity was piqued even further.

“Maybe our Ianto _was_ queer after all,” suggested Wyn, and the three of them barked with hysterical laughter.

“Sp-speaking of which,” panted Harry when he’d got some of his breath back, “who’s your boyfriend here?” He and the others burst out laughing again.

At Jack’s bemused frown, Ianto explained that his school nickname had ironically been Gayboy, because he’d been considered so straight. “Until I met you,” he had no need to add.

“No, seriously, who’s your friend?” Dai demanded.

“Boyfriend,” Harry snickered, and Wyn grabbed the table to stay standing, he was laughing so hard.

“Actually,” began Ianto, and Jack’s heart sank. Ianto would never publicly acknowledge their relationship. And that hurt, because people were much more accepting in the 21st Century than they were fifty years earlier, and he wanted to believe that what he and Ianto had was real, but if Ianto couldn’t even tell his friends about them…

“He _is_ my boyfriend,” Ianto continued, and Jack stared. “Guys, this is Jack. Jack, this is Wyn, Dai, and Harry, mates of mine from school."

“Hi,” Jack managed, and had to take a long sip of beer to moisten his throat so that he could swallow.

Ianto’s friends were staring at Ianto as if he’d just announced that he was pregnant with an alien baby.

“No bloody way!” exclaimed Dai. “You’re pulling our legs.”

“Holy shit,” said Harry.

“But... you were…I’ve never met someone as heterosexual as you!” sputtered Wyn.

Ianto forced a fake smile while Jack observed the scene without reacting. No-one spoke.

“Well, I’m… happy for you, mate,” Harry said after the awkward silence had gone on too long. He shook Ianto’s hand again and clapped his back. He glanced over at the two women at their table, one of whom was texting, the other filing her nails.

“Best not keep them waiting,” Dai piped up, looking in the same direction. “Ah well, nice meeting you again, Ianto. See you around.”

Harry and Dai returned to their table after exchanging mobile numbers with Ianto; Wyn remained. He lowered his mouth to murmur in Ianto’s ear, “He’s a looker, I’ll give you that. I mean, if I were that way inclined, I would _definitely_ …” He leant back and gave Ianto a nod with raised eyebrows.

“Thanks, man.” Ianto smiled, a genuine smile this time, and Jack’s insides turned to goo.

“I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Bye, Wyn.”

Ianto turned back to Jack, and tried to keep breathing as Jack stared at him with a passionate expression Ianto hadn’t seen on him before. “I don’t think they quite believed that you were my boyfriend,” he commented, covering Jack’s hand on the table top with his own. “I reckon some physical proof may be necessary in order to persuade them.”

Jack’s lips attached themselves to Ianto’s like a magnet.

After a minute, Ianto pulled away, looking around at the other patrons and trying not to blush. He downed the last of his beer. “Should we, maybe,” he panted, “postpone the pub crawl for another time?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” replied Jack. He finished his drink in one gulp as Ianto put his jacket back on.

Once they were walking back across the Plass, it was Ianto this time who reached for Jack’s hand to hold. Jack had to stop and kiss Ianto before he allowed them to keep going.

“So,” he drawled, “you introduced me as your boyfriend to kids you went to school with.”

“Yep, I was there.” Ianto’s dry response was juxtaposed with a squeeze of Jack’s hand.

“Next step meeting your mother?” Jack teased.

“Not in a million years. I say that for her safety and my sanity.”

Jack laughed. “But seriously. You’ve never done that before. Why today?”

Ianto didn’t speak for a few moments, a good sign that he was considering an answer. “Today reminded me that life is short,” he explained with a shrug, “though I hardly need to tell _you_ that. And I don’t want to regret not doing or saying something just because I was scared of how people might react. You’re an important part of my life, Jack, and I don’t want to dismiss you in front of old mates I haven’t seen in years.”

“Ianto, I-”

But that was the end of any further conversation, for Ianto interrupted Jack with a kiss to rival the best Jack had ever had. _And that’s saying something_ , was his last coherent thought before all his senses were filled with Ianto.

They created their own fireworks that night.


End file.
